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Solef
®
Solef® PVDF
for Li-Ion Batteries
Solef® PVDF for Binders
to Improve Battery Performance
Lithium batteries are a challenging application for most
polymeric materials, as they demand long-term reliability
as well as chemical and electrochemical resistance in
the specific chemical environment of Li-ion cells. In the
case of automotive applications, higher temperature
performance are also required.
Solef® PVDF is a partially fluorinated semi-crystalline
polymer with excellent thermo-mechanical and chemical
properties. It brings many advantages to the lithium
battery industry when used as a binder in the formulation
of electrodes as well as in the design of the separator.
Solef® PVDF is already well assessed in many specialty
applications such as oil and gas, semiconductors,
membranes for water filtration, plumbing, architectural
coatings and photovoltaics.
• Solef® PVDF is electrochemically stable in the full
range of voltage between 0 and 5 V vs Li+/Li, which
guarantees its safe use in the electrochemical
environment of the lithium cell.
• Thermogravimetric analysis shows that Solef® PVDF
resins are stable at high temperature: no thermal
degradation occurs before 420 °C for short term
treatments.
• The shelf life of Solef® PVDF is infinite. According to ISO
9080 extrapolation standard, Solef® PVDF pipes are
stable for more than 50 years under 25 MPa at room
temperature.
2
\ Solef® PVDF for Li-Ion Batteries
Solef® PVDF Grades
It is important to choose the right Solef® PVDF grade in
order to achieve the targeted chemical resistance. Thanks
to its high crystallinity levels, homopolymer PVDF offers
high resistance in typical electrolytes used in lithium
batteries. PVDF copolymers, characterized by lower
crystallinity, are soluble in a wider range of solvents and
show different levels of swelling in organic carbonates.
This property make them suitable for manufacturing the
separator in gel polymer type batteries.
High Purity
The high purity of Solef® PVDF is a guarantee for more
safety. The Solef® PVDF has been used for more than
15 years in the high purity industry, including many
semiconductor applications. Therefore Solvay Specialty
Polymers has consolidated its experience on how to
guarantee a very low level of contaminations in Solef® PVDF
resins. Strict production conditions and quality control rules
enable Solvay Specialty Polymers to reach a strong position
among the leaders in the semiconductor industry.
Innovation from Solvay
The R&D expertise of Solvay Specialty Polymers in
fluorinated chemistry and polymerization technology is
continuously focused on the development of new tailored
solutions in order to fulfill increasing requirements for safety
and performance in the growing lithium batteries market.
Portfolio of Grades – General Properties
PVDF Homopolymer
Modified PVDF
PVDF Copolymer
Solef ® 6010
Solef ® 6020
Solef ® 5130
Solef ® 21216
1st generation
binder
2nd generation
binder and
porous
separator
3rd generation binder
for automotive
application (or for
high adhesion)
Flexible binder
and gel polymer
separator
Da
300,000 –
330,000
670,000 –
700,000
1,000,000 –
1,200,000
570,000 –
600,000
GPC*
Melting point
°C
170 – 175
170 – 175
158 – 166
130 – 136
ASTM D3418
Heat of fusion (ΔHf)
J/g
58 – 66
55 – 65
40 – 48
20 – 28
ASTM D3418
Glass transition (Tg)
°C
– 40
– 40
– 40
– 40
DMTA
MPa
1,700 – 2,500
1,300 – 2,000
1,000 – 1,500
400 – 600
ASTM D638
1 mm/min
Ohm · cm
≥ 1·1014
≥ 1·1014
≥ 1·1014
≥ 1·1014
ASTM D257
DIN 53483
Properties
Units
Test
Method
Typical properties
Molecular weight
Thermal properties
Tensile properties at 23 °C
Modulus
Electrical properties
Volume resistivity
*M
olecular weight data were obtained by gel permeation chromatography in dimethylacetamide (DMAC), calibrated using a
polystyrene standard. The results are useful for a relative comparison.
Typical property values are reported in this document. They should not be interpreted as material specifications.
Thermogravimetric analysis of
Solef® PVDF homopolymer
Electrochemical stability of
Solef® PVDF homopolymer
0.06
100
0.05
Weight [%]
I [A/g]
0.04
0.03
0.02
50
0.01
0
0
0
1
2
3
E [V vs Li/Li+]
4
5
6
100
400
Temperature [°C]
700
Solef® PVDF for Li-Ion Batteries
/3
Binders for Stable Electrodes
Acid resistance
5
Among other polymers, Solef® PVDF is one of the
preferred choices as binder material for electrodes
thanks to its stable and reliable performance.
4
3
In particular Solef® PVDF guarantees:
Shelf life
Chemical
stability
2
• Electrochemical stability from 0 to 5 V vs Li +/Li
Solef® PVDF
Hydrogenated
polymer
1
• Solubility in NMP for easy processing
0
• Chemical resistance in the electrolyte
• Suitable cohesion between active materials
• Durable adhesion to the current collector
Adhesion is a key property which determines final
performance of batteries especially at long term. A good
binder guarantees the homogeneous dispersion of active
materials and conductive carbon together with stable
bonding to the metallic collector.
Fire
resistance
Temperature stability
Adhesion comparison
In order to evaluate the binder effect, some tests have
been performed. Cathodes have been prepared from
NMP slurry in standard conditions (LiCoO2 as active
component, 5 % of carbon black and a fixed amount
of Solef® PVDF), then coated onto an aluminum foil and
dried in oven at 130 °C. Adhesion has been measured by
peeling test following ASTM D903.
Solef ® PVDF
Hydrogenated polymer
Adhesion to cathode with LiCoO2
0.14
Peeling strength [N/cm]
It is possible to notice the effect of molecular weight and
binder content on mechanical consistency of electrodes.
The temperature of drying, the chemistry and quantity of
active material as well as post-treatments play also a role
in the determination of adhesion performance and may be
optimized for improving electrodes quality.
Voltage
stability
Solef ® 6010
Solef ® 6020
0.12
0.10
0.08
0.06
0.04
0.02
0
2.0
4
\ Solef® PVDF for Li-Ion Batteries
2.5
3.0
3.5
4.5
4.0
Binder content [%]
5.0
5.5
Solvay Specialty Polymers has taken advantage of
its expertise in fluorine chemistry and polymerization
technologies for designing a new generation of
fluoropolymers, Solef® 5130. This high-performance
fluoropolymer is designed for use as a binder and is
especially tailored for high-demanding applications, where
it is necessary to guarantee best performance during
battery operation.
As result, the new Solef 5130 combines the effect of
ultra-high molecular weight with the benefit of the polar
functional groups distributed in the polymer chain. The
reinforced intermolecular interactions between polymer,
active materials and metal collector result in increased
performance in terms of adhesion and chemical
resistance in electrolyte. These effects are translated into
higher energy density, better power performance and
longer cycle life of batteries for the auto­motive industry.
Adhesion to electrodes
0.70
Peeling strength [N/cm]
New Solef® 5130 for High Energy
and Large Format Cells
LiCoO2, 3 % PVDF
NMC 811, 3 % PVDF
LiMn 204, 8 % PVDF
Graphite, 9 % PVDF
0.60
0.50
0.40
0.30
0.20
0.10
0
Solef® 5130
®
Therefore it is possible to significantly reduce binder
content, giving access to higher energy density as well
as lower internal resistance. An example obtained by
reducing binder content with LiFePO4 as active material is
reported.
Reinforced intermolecular interactions
Adhesion to cathode with LiFePO4
1.60
Solef ® 5130
PVDF homo
1.40
Peeling strength [N/cm]
The polymer has been tested in combination with different
active materials. Especially new oxides, which find an
increasing interest in large battery applications, and
graphite for anode have been considered. Electrodes
have been prepared with standard conditions from NMP
solutions, then coated onto a metal foil and dried in an
oven at 130 °C. Adhesion has been measured by peeling
test following ASTM D903. In all cases Solef® 5130 shows
superior adhesion properties compared with PVDF
standard homopolymer with high MW.
PVDF homo
high MW
1.20
1.00
0.80
0.60
0.40
0.20
0
0
2
4
6
Binder content [%]
8
10
Battery Performance
PVDF standard grades as Solef® 6020 are recognized on
the market and already offer stable performance when
utilized as binder in cathode and anode for consumer
application.
For the automotive industry it is necessary to assure
better performance especially at high depth of discharge
in the case of electric vehicles (EV), while the stability at
higher current rates for short cycles and lower depth of
discharge is requested for hybrid electrical vehicles (HEV).
All advantages of Solef® 5130 may be appreciated
when reduced binder content is utilized for high energy
applications: cells are characterized by higher capacity
and at the same time long life is guaranteed.
Solef ® PVDF
It can be noted that the initial capacity is increased by
more than 5 % with a lower binder content. In our testing
this percentage increases significantly after 50 cycles.
When high power performance are needed, still Solef®
5130 provides more stable performance after time. An
example of the improvement of cycle life obtained with the
new polymer is shown on the following page.
Solef® PVDF for Li-Ion Batteries
/5
The Longer Life Obtained
with Solef® 5130
How can Solef® 5130 guarantee the constancy of its
improved performance?
An important aspect which is linked to the long-term
stability is the chemical resistance in the aggressive
environment of a lithium-ion cell, which contains
organic carbonates and lithium salt. Especially at high
temperature, the weight uptake of Solef® 5130 is very low,
as reported in the following paragraph. Molecular weight
plays an important role in determining this property.
Electrodes and coin cells
120
80
PVDF Homo, 8 %
Solef® 5130, 8 %
Solef® 5130, 3 %
40
0
50
100
150
200
Cycle number
250
300
Although the test conditions (free electrode film dipped
in an excess of electrolyte) are much more severe than
those in a real battery, it can be taken as an indicator of
the stability given by the binder. Solef® 5130 demonstrates
excellent performance, ensuring long-term battery
stability, where other binder grades do not.
Galvanostatic cycles on coin cell test samples 1C, 2.5 – 4.0
V; 80 % DoD at RT; electrode composition: PVDF binder,
10 % super P, LiFePO4; discharge capacity is normalized for
electrodes weight.
Cycle life for power applications
250
Cathode – LiCoO2 – active material
200
Cycle life
The breakthrough in term of adhesion properties in
harsh conditions is linked to the chemical nature of the
polymer. In order to demonstrate this aspect, a test of
stability after immersion in the electrolyte was performed.
Cathodes prepared with different binder content of
homopolymer PVDF and Solef® 5130 were dipped in the
electrolyte mixture (EC/DMC 1:1) at 90 °C for 5 days. The
resistance of electrodes after immersion was determined
by comparing the weight of the active material retained on
the metal collector before and after the test.
150
100
50
0
Solef® 5130
Standard PVDF
Galvanostatic cycles on coin cell test samples 2C, 2.5 – 4.0
V; 40 % DoD at RT; electrode composition: 8 % PVDF binder,
10 % super P, 82 % LiFePO4; cycle life: cycle number when cell
capacity reaches 80 % of the initial capacity.
Electrode resistance
[Weight % of active material]
Discharge capacity [mAh/g]
Cycle life for energy applications
100 %
5 %
3 %
1 %
80 %
60 %
40 %
20 %
0 %
Solef® 5130
PVDF homopolymer
Binder stability in electrolyte immersion
after treatment of coin cells at 85 °C for 2 days
Impedance after cycling
300
Solef® 5130, 300 cycles
Standard PVDF, 100 cycles
-Im(Z)/Ohm
250
Solef ®
5130
200
150
100
50
0
0
6
Homopolymer
PVDF
100
200
300
400
Re(Z)/Ohm
\ Solef® PVDF for Li-Ion Batteries
500
600
For example, coin cell test samples have been stored at 85 °C
for 2 days and the visual appearance of electrodes is reported
in the picture. This result can be easily scaled-up on pouch or
prismatic cells.
Processing Information
The first step of electrodes manufacturing is the
dissolution of PVDF in an organic solvent such as NMP.
Some guidelines may be taken into consideration for
improving the efficiency of this process.
• The method for adding the powder to the solution
plays a major role in dissolution ease and duration: in
particular it is advised to slowly add the powder to the
solution while stirring.
• Mixing speed, geometry of the stirrer and temperature
of the solution play key roles in the kinetics of
dissolution. It is advised to give enough time to the
polymer to completely dissolve in the solvent; a slight
heating of the solution can improve the dissolution time.
• It is important to use dry materials and solvents and to
operate in a dry environment in order to improve the
dissolution process.
Solef ® PVDF grades in NMP
Solef ® 6010
Solef ® 6020
Solef ® 5130
102
n [Pa · s]
101
Slurry viscosity – LiCoO2
Brookfield viscosity at 50 rpm [cP]
Processing is a key factor for the lithium battery industry.
Some evaluations have been performed for a better
understanding of the parameters to be controlled in order
to optimize processing and performance of PVDF.
10,000
1,000
Solef® 6010
Solef® 6020
Solef® 5130
100
0
1
2
3
4
Binder concentration [%]
5
6
PVDF grade, concentration of the solution and
temperature are key factors in determining the solution
viscosity. Slurry viscosity is furthermore affected by the
chemical nature and the concentration of active materials,
as well as slurry viscosity. It is therefore recommended
to optimize PVDF concentration and slurry formulation
in order to reach suitable processing conditions. For
example, some results of slurry viscosity are reported,
where slurries have been prepared with the same active
material (LiCoO2) but with different polymer content. It
may be also necessary to optimize the total solid content
of the slurry in order to obtain the targeted slurry viscosity
for the coating process. Besides, the nature of active
materials and its particle size also play an important role in
the determination of slurry viscosity.
100
10-1
10-2
10-1
101
100
Rate [s-1]
102
103
Flow curves measured by rheometer RFS III;
T = 25 °C, concentration 8 % w/w
Slurry for electrodes coating
Fluoropolymers for Li-ion Batteries
/7
Specialty Polymers
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[email protected]
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[email protected]
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Shanghai, China 201108
www.solvay.com
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